A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
